For the health and safety of our clients and staff, masks are required to be worn while visiting AERA. Thank you!

24/7 Emergency & Critical Care

24/7 Emergency & Critical Care


24/7 Emergency Care

Animal Emergency & Referral Associates has been providing emergency services in the North Jersey area since 1977. We have a fully-staffed animal emergency hospital that is equipped for your pet’s most urgent medical needs. If your family veterinarian is unable to care for your pet in an emergency situation, Animal Emergency & Referral Associates is open 24/7, 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays.

Our emergency veterinarians are experienced professionals with career interests in emergency medicine and specialty care. If your pet requires hospitalization, he/she will receive the very best of care with a veterinarian on duty at all times. We have many other specialty departments in our hospital, and should the need arise, your pet can be transferred seamlessly for further care. We are committed to keeping both you and your family veterinarian updated on your pet’s progress every step of the way.

You do not need an appointment for your pet to be seen by our emergency team; however, a call ahead to (973) 788-0500 is appreciated so that we can expect your arrival. If your pet is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, he or she will be seen immediately; otherwise, your pet will be seen by order of arrival time. We work diligently to keep your wait time as brief as possible. Please understand that life-threatening emergencies do arise and must be dealt with immediately, so we ask for your patience during these periods.

Critical Care

Having a veterinary critical care specialist on staff is a unique benefit that sets AERA apart from other emergency hospitals. A veterinary criticalist is an experienced emergency veterinarian that has successfully completed additional training and evaluation in the field of emergency and critical care. 

For especially life threatening emergencies like severe trauma, excessive bleeding, heatstroke, surgical complications and more, a criticalist is the kind of specialist your pet needs for the best chance at recovery. Any pet can become seriously ill or injured in an instant, even under the most watchful pet parent. 

Like in human ICUs, criticalist and emergency doctor care work closely with  a  team of support technicians to offer the best care for your pets. Extensive training allows this diverse team to perform advanced monitoring, treatments, and diagnostics including: 

  • Hemodynamic  monitoring
  • Intravenous fluid administration
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Blood transfusion
  • Nutritional support 
  • Pain management
  • Blood gas analysis
  • Coagulation testing
  • Our Team


  • Kathleen_Davis 24/7 Emergency & Critical Care

    Kathleen Davis, VMD

    Emergency & Critical Care

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  • AERA_Gerber_02r 24/7 Emergency & Critical Care

    Gary Gerber, DVM

    Emergency & Critical Care

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  • AERA_Ilardi_01r_resized-for-website 24/7 Emergency & Critical Care

    Monica Villar Ilardi, VMD

    Emergency & Critical Care

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  • AERA_Scelba_01r_resized-for-website 24/7 Emergency & Critical Care

    Rebecca Scelba, DVM

    Emergency & Critical Care

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  • AERA-Dr-Tusa 24/7 Emergency & Critical Care

    Bryce Tusa, DVM

    Emergency & Critical Care

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